Performers Playground was a wonderful experience for my daughter and our family. My daughter was an actor in two plays (one when she was six years old and one when she was eight) put on by the playground. She learned to memorize lines, work with older and younger children, how to do make up and about costuming. She also learned how to stay with a project until the end. As a family we thoroughly enjoyed the performances and were grateful for the time and energy the devoted people of Performers Playground invested in my child and the other children as well. We still attend the performances and they are still pretty good and a lot of fun.
Although my child was younger at the time of her involvement, I was really impressed at how the director and other adult mentors worked with sometimes struggling middle and high school students and kept their interest and really taught them skills they could use in the theater as well as outside the theater too. I know the kids build the sets and run the lighting and work backstage as well as act.
The Performer's Playground allowed me to express my creativity without being singled out and embarrassed. I was able to be myself, and learn how to show the world who I really am. The Playground allowed me to find out who I am as a person, and meet many great people. The Playground is a great place for anyone to go and have fun!
After watching several of the Performer's Playgrounds top notch performances, my 13 year old daughter begged me to let her join the drama group. I hesitated at first because I worked full time at a bank nearly 45 minutes from the drama studio and was basically giving up my entire evening 5 days a week from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. to chaperone my daughter. I did finally agree and held up my part of the bargain by getting her to all her practices.
Without a doubt, all the extra gas money, mileage on my car, and hours spent biding my time while my daughter rehearsed with the talented, friendly, and motivated staff and members of the Performer's Playground was well worth it.
The art direction is excellent (nurturing, but firm) and the kids fast became friends and skilled in most facets of live theater. At the performances, the general audience was repeatedly and consistently rewarded with excellent acting and family members got to see their relatives on stage, happy, talented and productive.
Each production had overall excellence with respect to acting, costumes, makeup, stage set, sound, and lights. Each production was uniquely different from other productions of the same shows by other local theater groups. it was always a guaranteed good time for all involved.
I've had the pleasure of attending many of the productions arranged, set, and performed by this talented organization. I LOVE the fact that local children are encouraged to try out, then coached along as they progress in their 'new art'. I've seen painfully shy children move from sitting on a rock being a mermaid to actually performing speaking parts! I am proud of this company and talk it up every chance I can and especially when there's an upcoming production!
I feel that in this world where children can fall victim to all manner of bad choices that the opportunity to develop self confidence, and poise that the Performers Playground offers our youth is a veritable gift!
